Here are some reports about a Japanese ice cream company accused of fixing the prices of sweet treats
Allegations of the carriage. Many investigations. A national shame.
Yes, we are talking about ice cream.
As Canadians continue to get their piece of the bread price adjustment deal this summer, Japan is reeling from its price-buying scandal. Officials from the Japanese government’s fair trade watchdog have conducted local inspections of six major ice cream makers for alleged price-fixing, which Japanese media are calling price-fixing.
CBC News reached out to Japan’s Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) and has not been contacted. But according to the Associated Press, reports suspect tcorporate managers in cooperative companies over several years to coordinate price increases for ice cream.
“We take seriously the fact that there was an inspection in the area, and we promise to cooperate fully with the investigation of the Japan Fair Trade Commission,” Tokyo-based Meiji Co said in a statement on Tuesday, written in Japanese.
The company explained that it had conducted an on-site inspection for alleged violations of the anti-violence law, but did not say when it happened.
Five other companiesMorinaga Milk Industry Co., Morinaga & Co., Lotte Co., Ezaki Glico Co. and Akagi Nyugo Co., issued similar statements on their corporate websites.
“We sincerely apologize to our customers, business partners, and all who may be concerned about any inconvenience and concern this may cause,” Akagi Nyugo added in his statement.
On social media, some customers expressed their displeasure.
“Putting aside the other five companies, it was disappointing to see Akagi on the list. I thought they were on the side of the general public,” one person commented on Akagi Nyugo’s Instagram post.
“In this weather? Satan’s!” someone commented on a post by the Straits Times, a nod to Japan’s most pressing current challenges.
Temperatures in Japan have reached a critical level, and the language is changing to match. The Japan Meteorological Agency has introduced a new term for days over 40 C: kokushobi, or “very hot day.” In a culture with a deep connection between the seasons and language, CBC News’ Johanna Wagstaffe explores how the arrival of the word is a surprising sign of climate change.
Why ice cream?
As the Associated Press notes, Japanese antitrust officials occasionally conduct high-level investigations to protect fair competition.
And it’s not the first time ice cream makers have been included. The fair trade commission’s website has an example of an unnamed “big” ice cream maker refusing to distribute products to retailers unless they agreed to a certain suggested price, for example.
“As a result of an investigation by the Japan Fair Trade Commission, it was found that the company’s practices included ‘price fixing,’ an unfair trade practice, and violated the Emergency Trade Act,” JFTC notes.
But, according to Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper, this is the first time the JFTC has investigated a group allegedly involved in the ice cream industry. The newspaper reports the JFTC believes that because of the cart, consumers “may be forced to buy products at higher prices than they would otherwise pay.”
And this comes at a time when the country’s food prices, including ice cream, are already on the rise, notes Yahoo Japan.
Meanwhile, ice cream sales in Japan hit a record high 663.1 billion yen ($5.8 billion Cdn) by 2025, according to the Japan Ice Cream Association. That’s a 102 percent increase from last year’s sales, the organization said, too it is the sixth year in a row that sales have reached a new record high.
The sales figures, “mainly due to the increase in demand brought by the high summer heat, the result of price revisions, and the ongoing efforts of the entire industry” said the ice cream association in its report.
Japan experienced the hottest summer on record in 2025. In April, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced a new name for days when the temperature exceeds 40 C: of dancingor “very hot days.”
Are price-shifting scandals more common?
Perhaps, like many Canadians, you have been following the national bread price scandal. Loblaw and its parent company George Weston Ltd. 2024 was agreed upon paying $500 million to settle a class action lawsuit, too Canadians who submitted a claim began receiving their payments this spring.
You may also remember the “potato cart” that allegedly conspired to raise the prices of frozen fries and tater tots in the US.
And just this week, the Canadian Competition Bureau announced it will examine how competition within the food supply chain affects grocery prices for Canadian consumers. That report will be published next spring.
But just because we’re hearing more about the topic doesn’t mean price-fixing allegations are on the rise, William Huggins, assistant professor of finance and business economics at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., told CBC News.
He says he suspects that these scandals may be the latest “to spread awareness about something that has always happened.”
Food prices in Japan will increase by 6.8 percent from 2024 to 2025, according to the country’s statistics agency. By comparison, grocery prices in Canada are expected to increase by 3.5 per cent by 2025, Statistics Canada notes. In addition, the Japan Times reports that major food manufacturers plan to raise prices on 1,078 items in June, citing increased packing and fuel costs due to the war in the Middle East.
All this means that it is not only consumers, but also officials and guardians, who may be looking more closely at the increase in prices, Michael von Massow, a professor of food agriculture at the University of Ontario. of Guelph, told CBC News.
“We’re paying a lot of attention,” he said.
